


Out of the Tower

by abetternameneeded



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25973932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abetternameneeded/pseuds/abetternameneeded
Summary: What if Maui's Hook had worked? Killian frees Alice but he still has to help her adjust to the world ourisde of her tower.
Relationships: Alice | Tilly & Wishverse Captain Hook | Detective Rogers
Comments: 13
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Killian Jones couldn't believe any of his senses. He'd spent a decade trying to find a way to break his daughter free of a prison. And he'd finally done it! She wasn't trapped any more. She didn't have to feel trapped any more!

"What now, papa?" Alice asked him. Her eyes were filled with the same curiosity they always were. A question he'd heard her say a hundred times now had a different meaning. She could finally leave the confines of their home. No not their home anymore. Killian had found them a small house not too far away from a nearby school. Alice would finally be able to go to school. He had done his best to educate her but he was 200 years old, perfect for history lessons but not neccesarily so great for current science.

Alice didn't know what to do. Everything was so bright and everything was so close to her. She wanted to touch everything but also her eyes burned as the sun shined in it and her feet tickled so much it almost hurt as the grass touched her soles. Her ears pounded as the birds sang louder than she'd ever heard them and something made a weird sound she couldn't describe.

"I found us a place to live, with a big yard and no magical barrier."

Alice was excited but this was too much. She wanted things to be a little less for just a moment. Alice shut her eyes tight. It stopped the burning sensation in her eyes but she couldn't get rid of the sounds she'd longed to hear.

Killian notice Alice's eyes shut and worried about her.

"Are you alright, Starfish?"

Alice shook her head.

"The sun's really bright," Alice blinked letting her eyes readjust to the new feeling of the burning star being close enough to radiate warmth and light. It still hurt but she wanted and needed to see in front of her.

They made their way to the house, Alice alternating between pure excitment at all the things she'd never expereinced before and discomfort from the sheer intensity of things.

Killian didn't want to throw too much at Alice at once. She'd spent a decade locked away in that tower. The only voices she'd heard for most of it had been his and her own. He had hired a babysitter for a short time but that hadn't gone so well. Killian winced at the memory of a mistake Alice had long forgotten. The only voice besides her own she could remember was his. He worried that changing too much too fast would overwhelm her and she wouldn't know how to handle it. He'd already seen the sun bother her. He didn't know how he'd get her used to how bright the world was. He felt a pang of guilt as he wished he'd found a way to her out of the tower sooner. Soon enough that it would feel like a faded memory from some far off dream. But he hadn't and it was all she'd known. And now she'd have to adjust.

"Papa," Alice was running around the same way she always did. Now if she fell he actually would be able to get help, so he worried quite a bit less as she uttered the words "Watch this!" and proceeded to jump haphazardly off the counter she'd been sitting on. It still sent waves of panic through his veins but he felt safer knowing she wasn't stuck inside this building.

He laughed a little, hiding the momentary panic. She was fine and she was having fun. "Okay, Starfish. I know you're having fun but maybe we play a different game for a bit? Or explore a little?"

Alice liked his latter idea much better. She'd never been anywhere so big! Well, she'd never been anywhere at all before, she supposed. "Aye!"

And with that Alice bounded off around the house looking at everything and running back to ask Killian every question she could think of. He understood she was just excited but he hadn't really been sure how to answer some of them. What did you say to a ten year old asking

"Why are there so many doors papa?"?

The question had been preceded by a suprisngly difficult conversation about what a door even was. He'd known what a door was up until Alice had asked him to explain it. There were often questions she'd ask him that he'd find difficult to explain with her limited life experiences. He had a feeling that she would only grow more curious about the world around her now that she could actually experience it for herself.

And followed by "What's this do?" as Alice messed with the lock on the door to her room. Which to her just looked like a fun toy at first. Everything to her had always been a toy or a game until she was told otherwise. There was only so much space in the tower and she used it to her advantage, giving way to her vibrant imagination and curiosity.

Killian sighed. Preparing himself for round two of her toddler years. She'd wanted to know everything about everything and then some. At the time he would have sworn he'd answered at least a thousand questions about why things worked the way they did including questions he wasn't sure anyone else had ever thought of. No he was almost certain no one in the history of humanity had ever asked if towers really sprung up around young children when they did something they shouldn't have that they couldn't remember doing. Killian hadn't slept too much that night. He'd stayed awake comforting Alice, reassuring her that she hadn't done anything wrong. That it wasn't her fault. That the tower wasn't something fair. He'd found a book she'd read that had planted the idea in her head and he'd silently cursed the witch that had trapped her in the first place. Alice had fallen asleep in the crook of his arm with tears he'd wished he could do more than wipe away. And he'd refused to move and risk waking her.

How'd he explain this one? Killian thought for a moment. Some of Alice's questions he'd just never thought about before.

"It's a lock."

"What's a lock?" the tone of her voice was filled with wonder, her entire face lighting up at the prospect of new knowledge.

Killian understood that Alice didn't know and so had the patience for her questions.

"It's a thing to keep doors shut when they need to be. Mostly to keep people out." Was that a good enough explanation? Killian hoped it satisfied her.

Alice tilted her head. She was thinking. Alice quickly decided she didn't like the thought of the lock. If it could keep other people out it could keep her in.

"No."

Killian blinked. The description might not have been the best course of action. He'd been honest with her but perhaps not clear enough.

"What'd you mean, Starfish?" he quirked his eyebrow and looked at her. She was shifting back and forth on her feet, her pent up energy coming to the surface as it always did more when she was upset or frightened. She was biting her bottom lip. It was obvious something was bothering her. "What's wrong?"

"If it can keep other people out it can keep me in, can't it?" Oh. Killian's face fell.

Killian sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the wall and criss-crossing his legs. "Come here, sit down with me."

Alice sat down a mirrored his body language. "It won't, I promise."

Alice nodded, clearly still nervous.

"How do you know?"

Killian was so angry at the witch that had created this fear. His daughter was the kindest person he'd ever met. Granted, all of her kindess was directed at Killian, stuffed toys and that one spider that had somehow gotten into the tower when she was three. She didn't deserve what she'd been through.

"I just know, Starfish." Alice looked at him and quirked her eybrow the same way he did.

"But how?" Alice insisted. Killian's answer hadn't been good enough.

"I won't let it happen," Killian mentally added the word again. "And you never have to lock the door. It's there if you want to but I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do."

"Does this mean I don't have to eat broccli anymore?" Alice quipped. Okay, she'd definitley inherited his cheekiness. But she still had to eat her vegtables.

Killian laughed. "Locking the door is an option, closing it is an option, but you still have to eat your vegetables."

Alice pouted a little but conceed to Killian's point.

"Alright, papa."

They both got up and Alice helped him make dinner. He'd give her a week or so to adjust before she started school. And he'd go to the school to enroll her tommorow.


	2. Chapter 2

The first night in their new home had already showcased a number of challenges Killian hadn't fully thought about. Alice hated the locks on the doors and didn't fully agree with Killian's claims that locking the front door was for her safety not her harm. He'd caved and agreed to leve it unlocked until they could find a better compromise. And swore to her in every language they both knew that if he had any say she'd never be held against her will again. He was battling between her actual safety and her distrust for what would provide it. But he was a man of his word and she was the last person he'd ever lie to.

Alice rose right with the sun. Her usual boundless energy somehow finding a new level with her new reality.

"Good morning papa. Can we go outside?" Alice was bouncing a little. It'd been a decade and she could finally actually go somewhere. She'd never had that before, and she'd always wanted it. And she cpuldn't contain her excitement..

"Aye, but eat something first." Killian was worried but wouldn't restrict what Alice wanted to explore. She'd never really had this and when he vowed to give her freedom he'd meant it.

"Okay," Alice grabbed a piece of toast and ate fairly quickly. Killian would let the less than nutrious breakfast slide this once. He could see his daughter's obvious excitement bubbling over into her every action. "Let's go!"

Killian let out a slight chuckle. "I am right behind you."

They went outside and Alice was immeidatly met with the sun beaaing down into her eyes. Alice winced. It was so bright. And she wasn't used to it. She closed her eyes and then tried to squint. She shook her head.

"Starfish, what's wrong?"

Alice explained what Killian expected. The sun was still hurting her eyes. Her eyes that had adjusted to the dim light of the tower and had never experienced anything else.

"How am I supposed to explore the world if it hurts?" Alice was still alternating between squiting and having her eyes shut completley. The frustration in her voice and mannerisms hurt Killian.

"I know, Starfish. It's okay. It won't hurt forever. It happens to everyone when they go from somewhere really dark to somewhere really bright."

"So I'll get used to it?" It broke Killian's heart as Alice's eyes held a hope for something she should never have needed to worry about in the first place.

"Aye, I think so. And if not, we can always figure it out. Together. Alright?"

"Alright," Alice nodded, her mind quickly racing to something else. "Can we play chess now?"

Killian agreed to a game of chess.

"We need to go get you signed up for school." He mentioned as she took one of his pieces.

"Checkmate, papa."

"How did you get so good?"

"You taught me. When?"

"We can go now?" They were sitting inside again. Alice had wanted to explore so badly but it'd caused her pain. "If you're up for it." Killian knew Alice was being shown so many new things and ideas she'd never experoenced. Everything was louder and brighter than she'd ever had.

"Aye!" Alice jumped up from her chair and bounced in place.

"Easy there, stsrfish," Killian told her as she got closer to the window that wasn't magically preventing her from falling out of it.

"I can't fall, papa" Yes. She could. Which was a new develoment in her life.

"Aye, you could. Careful."

"I really can't," Alice reminded him. She'd gotten dangerously close to her window her entire life. A magical barrier had always held her back.

"Starfish, not all windows are magic. This one is not." Killain knew that this was something foreign to Alice. He was sure he'd worried about her falling out of even her cursed window but he'd kept his mouth shut about it once he realized it might take him longer than he'd expected to find her an escape. And he'd wanted her to be happy.

"Really?" Alice quirked her eyebrow the exact same way he did.

"Aye, let me see if I can find something to help with your eyes."

Killian thought for a moment. He didn't want her eyes to hurt. He had an old hat.

He grabbed it. "Here, let's try this."

He set the hat on her head, her blonde hair peaking out of it easily.

"That should keep the sun out of your eyes a bit," he told her.

They walked back outside and the sun bothered her a lot less.

And then they headed to the nearby school to enroll her.


	3. Enrollment

The school was fairly close by. They got there while it was still in session. Their was a playground that was currently empty as everyone was in class.

"Papa, what is that?" Alice tilted her head curiously. She'd never seen most of the things around her. This was different.

Killian looked to see what Alice was asking about. "A playground." He explained it the best he could. He could tell Alice really really wanted to go explore the playground, before she'd even gotten the words out of her mouth. But there was a fence around it and she recognized a barrier more than any child ever should have. She knew when something said don't enter, or really for her it meant don't leave. "Maybe we can go play aftwr we get you enrolld. Or we can go find a playground somewhere around here."

Alice bounced excitesly as she agreed with him. Everytjing was so new. So different. So exciting.

Killian couldn't help but smile. Alice waa genuilney happy. He'd finally given her the one thing she'd always longed for..ut'd taken him ten years but he'd bloody done it.

"Ok, Starfish, c'mon." It took a little while to find where exactly the principal's office was. The school had quite a few hallways but they found it.

Alice stared at the principal for a few seconds. She'd never actually seen a human outside of papa before. Well when she really little she must have. But she didn't remember that.

"Killian Jones, nice to meet you. This is Alice."

"Hi," Alice defintley was not shy.

"Hi, this building's really big. And we got t lost. But we found what we were looking for. And the playfround looks fun."

Killian laughed. The principal seemed a little less amused but let it slide.

"Anyway," the principal went to get Killian back on track before he repsonded to Alice.

"Aye, thr scjool is really big." Killian had never once ignored Alice and he waan't going tonstart now. The principal cleared her throat. Was this girl gling to be troubel? She seemed nkce enough but defintely lacked the awarness kf the fact the adults needed to be talking.

"Okay, so here's some paperwork to fill out. Your wife needs to sign it to. Is she in the bathroom?"

"It's just me," killian admitted. He hadn't thought about the assumptions people would make. "I'm not married."

"Okay your dsighter's mother then."

"It's just me."

"Like she's running late?"

"By a decade," Killian quipped. "She left when Alice was born." Killian was beyond glad he'd told Alice this before. This would have been a terrible way for her to find out.

"Ok just, fill it out I giess, this is new." Somehow Killian highly doubted a single parent was the part that was new. People tended to believe men couldn't pare t their own damn children. He'd been shekled by Alice's prison but that hadn't stopped him hearing the occasional whisper when he went for supplies.

Killian sat filling out what he needed to. Alice filled thr awkwsrd silence with random wurstions for the prinvipal. Who was slowly clesrly growing agitated by them.

"Yes, I like my job. Normally. There are bad days" of course the orinvpal was going to day thid was one of the bad daysbut killian had finished thr paper work right then and went to hand it to her.

"Would you like a tour of the school before you go?" The principal had to offer this to every student. Even thkugh she was not actually looking forward to spending one more second wkth alice. Maybe this larticular student was just having a rough day. A lot of change tended to bring out the worst in some kids. She looked at the paper work. Oh. Homeschooled. That explained qujte a bit. Mr. Jones did not seem the strict type of parent. But surely someone around this kid had told her when to he quiet. She hoped.

"So down that way is the cafeteria. That way is the gym. There's a lot lf classrooms down these halls..you're going to be in the fourth grade. So this way. We can go meet your teacher I think the studebts are at lunch.

Thry went to thr classroom. "Hi, this is Alice Jones and her fsther killian..Alice is going to be in your class starting tommorow." Killian blinked he'd planned to keep alice home little longer than that to adjust but he'd let Alice decide which she wanted.

"Hi," the teacher waved at her. Alice was really excited. "I'm Ms. Doyle, nice to meet you. Are yiu nervous for your first day?"

"No," alice shook her head. Killain was sure he had mlre than enough nerved for the bost lf them. "I think papa's worried though."

"I'm fine, Starfish," Killian atrempted to lie.

"No, you're not."

The principal stsred at her. This was going to be a long year. But itbwas no longer her problem..it was the teachers.

"Ok, well I'll see you when you start school."

Killian and Alice made their way out of the school and talked about if she wanted tonstart the next day or not. She did. She was excited and didn't actually want to wait. Killian wasn't sure what he was going to do for the eight hours a day Alice would be at school.


	4. Chapter 4

Alice jumped on Killian's bed. Waking him up. "Papa!"

She was excited for her first day of school. Killian woke up, a little groggy. Alice's sleeping and waking habits were at best erratic. Some days she slept in, some days she didn't give the sun a chance to rise before she was running and climbing around the tower. The latter was far more common. She didn't want to miss the sunrise. She loved watching it. And Killian didn't mind her waking him up.

"I'm up. I'm up," Killian groaned. He swore he'd gotten less sleep the older she got.

"Is it time to go yet?" Killian looked out the window. It was still dark out. Alice had always liked waking up early and he'd never had any reason to stop her from that. Now he regretted his decision to allow his daughter to do whatever she felt like doing at four in the morning.

"Not yet," Killian actually got out of his bed. He decided he might take a small nap while Alice was at school, if he could quiet his nerves about the fact she wouldn't be all of 30 feet away from him at any given time for the first time in her entire life. He wasn't sure if thst part had really dawned on alice yet.

Killian made breakfast, Alice hanging out nesr him and talking while he did, a regular part of their routine. A routine that was going to be changing a lot over the next few days. Alice was clesrly excited. She couldn't sit srill even mkre than usual. The only differencr was that now sje actually had the space ro run around. She could go through doors and go outside if she felt like it. It seemed ro take forever for the sun to rise. And even lojger for it to be time to leave the house. The school really was close, which Killian had most defintley done on purpose. He'd wanted Alice to hsbe her freedom, but he was still protrctive of her.

"Papa, let's go," alice was defintlry ready by the time the clock struck the time they needed to leave thry'd esten brekafast. Tidied around the house a bit. Not that it was that messy after one night. And played a few rounds of chess.

"I'm coming." Killian turned to lock the door. Something that obviously bothered Alice. He got it, really. Her entire life had been confined to one room. And she had had a few days to handle the fact that it was different.

"Papa, don't lock it."

Killisn knelt dosn so he could be closer to her eye level. "I know you don't like the lock. Tell ypu what, I'lll only lock it when we're not home. And we can get you a key so you can control it," Killian was glad he knew his dsighterbas well as he did. That was exactly what she needed to hear. Alice agreed and then they headed to the school.

Thry got there and Killian was not exsctly ready to let go. So he walked her to her classroom. A few people gave him looks thst very celarly fisplayed distrust lf thr fsct he was on the schoolngrounds but no one confronted him.

They arrived at the classroom and Alice looked at him. He always sat next to her while she did school. She wasn't sure if there was somewhere specific he wanted to sit this time. Usually she picked but sometimes thry discussed it and decided together.

"Papa, where should we sit?"

Killian blinked. Yeah, Alice had not wuote gotten the drop off part of school.

The teacher overheard this. "You can sit wherever, Alice,."

Alice decided on the oerfect spot and started to walk away, and quickly noticed he wasn't follpwing her.

She walked back over to him. "Papa, c'mon."

And there it was. Alice thought he was stsying. Killian wanted to. But he'd agreed to give Alice freedom. He did 't need to hover over her every second. As badly as he wanted to nlw thst the bkg dcary world coukd grt ot her so much better.

The tescher beat Killian to the explanation. "Parents don't stay during school hoirs."

Alice looked at Killian. "But papa always helps me with school." She didn't want to be away from him. She rarely was. He'd very rarely leave to go get things from the town she'd never been able tongo to. But almost all lf the time he was around. They'd never been apart mlre than a few hours. Ever. And school was longer than a few hours he'd explained that much.. She was excited but she wasn't avtually sure how to handle being away from him for that long. It was entirely forign to her.

"Hey, come here," Killian was again on the ground so he was ablout Alice's height. "I know I normally help you with school. But you've got this."

Alice shook her head. Maybe papa believed in her. And she didn't dount herself that much but she was worried.

"But it's a really long time!" Alice was emotional and had never been asked ro control her volume. Killian had been incredobly lenienet understanding that she had already been through hell the moment she was born.

"Inside voice, please." Alice blinked. She didn't know what that meant.

She titlted her head. "What's inside voice?"

Killian explained quickly that the teacher justt wnted her a tiny bit quieter.

"Hey, I know. But I'm not that far away. And I'll pick you up from school." Killian was holding back how worried he was. He wasn't ready to leave her with a complete stranger either. But she jad every right ro attempt to make friends her own age. To explore the world. To finally have the childhood she should have had. Or whatever was closest. The Jolly Roger was long gone so she couldn't exactly sail the seven seas with him.

"You're worried too," Alice pointed out. She couuld tell. She'd spent her entire lofe around him save rhe iccasional few hours. She knew him. Knew his fscialnexoressions. Knew the look he had when be was trting to hide the fact he was worried from her.

"Aye, I am. We've got this. You can do it. It'll be fun. An adventure," Killian really hoped this worked. He hadn't prepared her as much as he'd hoped to.

Alice still didn't really want him to leave and he rarwly told her no. "Can you stay anyway?" Killian felt guilty. What harm would it avtually do to stay with her for her first day? No! No. Let her have her space. Stop hovering.

The teacher entered into the cojverdation, saving Killian from having to be the one to deny his dsighter something she wanted. "Parents can't stay. He's gonna go home or go to work and class is going to be fun."

"Papa?"

Alice had never had another adult tell her what to do. "Aye, she's right. Think you can do it, starfish?"

Alice nodded. "Ok, good. Have a good day," those words felt foreogn on his tongue. He'd neber left her lomg enough to need them. Alice hugged him goodbye and then found a place to sit after telling him she loved him. "Love you too."

And then Killian headed back to the house to worry there. And worry he did. He knew his daughter. Understood her. But would the teacher? Would Alice even be willing to listen to someone other than him? She'd had had a babysitter for a short time. Thankfully, she didn't remember how wrong that had gone. Killian worried more. What if gothel was at the school? He was pacing around their new home glancing at the clock that was ticking at a crawling pace. Millisecond by millisecond. Was she okay? Was she having fun? Was she enjoying it? Or was she hating every second lf it? Worrying the same way he was. Okay, he'd gotten far too used to be around Alice. What the bloody hell was he supposed to do now? Normally he spent his days looking for a way to free her and entertaining and teaching her. Now? He was actually kind of bored. The anxiety got to him and he decided to bake. Focus on something, anything, besides how Alice's first day of school was going. Or rathwr at least try to. Alice would love to come home to freshly baked treats. . But they'd get cold. Killian busied himself in the kitchen. Still worrying, but being at least a little productive. .


	5. Chapter 5

Alice had never spent a very long time away from papa. This waa new. And it was exciting. But it was different. She'd never seen anyone her own age. Let alone more than one. The woman at the front of the classroom, she was pretty sure the word was teacher that's what she'd heard, had said she could sit wherever she wanted to. But it looked like everyone was sitting at their desk. There was an empty seat near the front of the room which Alice gravitated to. It was close to the door. And the door was open and she'd walked through it. With papa encouraging her. And she'd checked that she could actually turn around and leave before she'd walked into the classroom. She had never been scared or much. But there hadn't been much to be scared of in the tower. She wanted papa. And he promised he'd be back. He never lied to her. But it was a long time to be away from him. And she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something could go wrong and she'd be trapped again. The barrier on her we dow had taunted her for a decade. And papa had comforted her and he wasn't here. Something that was actually bothering her. She hadn't thought it would. She'd been excited. But now she wasn't so sure about this.

Ice sat in the chair. There had been a desk in the tower..sometimes she used it. She usually chose to lay o the floor with her books scattered around her but the desk was something she'd used before.

Alice hated silence. It was so lonely. The tower was rarely quiet. Maybe it was quiet when she was asleep. She doubted that. It was filled with her and papa's life. The silence quit soon after as the rest of the people her age went back to chattering to each other.

"Okay back to our math, Alice just follow along the vest you can."

Alice was genuileny bored duri g the math lesson. She'd already learned how to do it. And when she knew how to do things, papa would just move on to the jext thing. Or they'd play a game. And Alice didn't knlw anything else. So she stopped . which the teacher didn't seem to notice. Or was at least ignoring. Papa never ignored her. She normally didn't even have to tell him she was bored. He knew. And he'd let her do something else. Or they'd lesrn something else. She gsve it a few seconds. Letting the teacher at least finish the peoblem she was on. But then she wwnt to the next one. And the next one. Alice let both her eyes and mind wander around the room. Shw found a book shelf filled with books. Most of them were kind of small in comparison to a lot of the books in the tower. But some were more what she liked. She preferred papa's stories for bedtime and liked the nonfiction books the best. The teacher was still droning on and on about math she'd known how to do for ages. So she got up and went over to the book shelf. Grabbing a book to read. She sat down on the ground. Opening up the book and laying it in her lap.

"Alice, pay attention." The teacher had taken a moment to really notice alice's actions. There was one of her and about twenty kids, all around the age of ten..

Alice didn't really know what that meant. She knew what attention was. But what? She'd never heard that phrase. She didnXt think. Alice titlted her head.

"What?" She was confused.

"Put the book away and listen to the math lesson," Ms. Doyle was already annoyed with her newest student. "And go back yo ypur seat, please.."

Alice went back to her seat after closing the book and putting it on the shelf. Sje'd go read it later. Alice sat down. The teacher kept talking. It waa do boring! She could do this in her sleep!

"I'm bored."

The teacher glared at her but continue ued teaching. Alice was a liftle confued. Papa didn't make her do more problems after she'd proven she knew how to do it."can't we move on?"

"No, we cannot. And raise your hand before speaking." Alice raised her hand. She had a question. Why did she have to do it this way? This was more complicated than how sje'd always done school.

"Why?"

"So there are,xt twenty 10 year olds talking over me." Alice sighed. And adjusted a bit and just looked around the classroom paying attention to all pf the things she'd never seen before.

"Ok, now geography."

Alice was much more focused during that lesson. She loved learning about new places and it wasn't anywhere near as repetitive as math was. She listened and anssered the oke or two quwstions she was asked the best she could. Still not rewlly sitting still. But she had never had to sit any one spot. Sometimes she'd play while papa explained things. As long as she learned something, he was fine with it.

That lesson finished and recess rolled around. Which Alice was not at all prepared for.


	6. Chapter 6

Alice raised her hand, a weird thing. But maybe it was fun. Weird could be fun. She didn't know what recess was. She'd never heard that word before. 

"Yes?" 

"What's recess?" The teacher made a face Alice didn't reecgonize. 

"You know what recess is." 

Alice didn't. She'd put her hand down. Guess she'd find out when they did it. That hadn't been an answer. Papa always answered her questions. Always. It didn't matter if he was busy, he made the time and space for her curiosity. He said he loved her questions. He said he liked answering them. She wanted papa. He would tell her. And he wouldn't make her sit still. He knew how fristrating it got when she remebered she couldn't leave the room. Alice worried, she wasn't sure she'd be able tonget out of this room when the day ended. And being stuck with this teacher sounded awfully boring. Papa had at least made things fun when he could. 

Evsryonr had gotten out of theirbseats so Alice assumed it would be fine to do the same, and return to the bookshekf to read the book that had caught her attention. 

She picked it up.

"We're going outside for recess today." 

Aliice out the book back, excited to explore outside. The book could wait. But she defintlwy did want to read it. She hoped the teacher had a chess set somewhere. It calmed her and the outside was overwhelming still. 

They went through several.doora to get outside. Each one Alice walling out qnd back in, making sure that they'd really let her out. The teacher had so many students she didnt notice Alice's odd behavior on rhat front. 

They went outside and Alice looked around. The playground was surroubded by a fence..shw felt trapped. She was outside and she felt trapped. She knew how to handle the feeling. It had been a feeling that had haubted her most of her life. 

"Will you play with me?" 

"No." 

Alice looked back at her. She understood the word no. Being told it was a different story. Papa was pretty leneient. She didn't try to take advantage of that too much but he had always been pretty lenient knowing that the world had inflicted an unfair rule on her to begin with. He didn't want to add to her misery. He knew that she sturggled with the tower so he tried his best to make sure there weren't other things she'd have to worry about. 

"Why not?" Papa always justified any rules he did give her. She knew the reason she wasnt allpwed to touvh the stove without him ks becauae she could burn herself. She knew that he wanted to help if she did cook just in case something went wrong. There weren't all that many rules. But the ones there were had a justificstion. They weren't just because. 

"Because I said so." That made no sense! That wasn't an answer. 

"That's not an answer." 

"Go play."  
Alice was trying to. But she wasn't goijg to get the teacher to play woth her. She walked around the edge of ghe pkayground, occaisoannly touching the fence. It didn't whire any magical warnings but it still felt like a barroer to her. And she'd always had a morbid habit of touching the barrier whenever thr fact she couldn't go outside surfaced to the forefront of her thoughts. 

Shs walked until they wdre called inside. She worried and went in and out of every door they went past. 

The teacher didn't notice. Alie assumed lessons were over for the day and she could sit and read a book. She sat down by the bookshelf. 

"Go to your deak." Loce tried to bring the book woth her. "Leave the book." 

"I will.read you eventually." Alice talked to the book..she hadn't had many people in her life so she'd talked to any object around her that she felt like talking to. The times papa was out of the tower would have been way too lonely otherwise. 

"Very funny, Alice. Sit down." The sarcasm was a tone she recgonized fron when she and papa joked around. But it sounded harsher than anything she'd ever heard. 

Alice went back to her desk, confused. She didn't get why she couldn't read the book. How was that a problem? Papa let her do whatever she felt like doing, as long as she finished her lessons at some point in the day, he was fine with it. And he made them fun! She learbed ablut animals with his drawings, and she lerned art when he showed her how. They read books so she could learn different languages. Her favorite had been the old pirate stories told in ancient greek. The adventure she couldnt go on but could hear papa talk about, although there was holes in the stories she could never get him.to fill. 

The teachwr went back to a math lesson. Alice was bored. She was very very bored. A familar feeling and this time without an escspe. She glanced at thr clock. It wouls be hours before she got to see papa again. She hoped he was faring better than she was. 

She raised her hand. Wait did that apply to something that wasn't a question? Sayong she was bored wasn't really a question. She put her hand down while she debated if shw had ro have it raised. "Is raising my hand fkr something not a queation a thing? Saying im bored isnt a queation. Not really. Or would it be?" She was talking to herself, and didn't even really notice she was doing it. And sje didn't notice jerswlf stand up and start to pace. Its how she thought. And papa ubderstood that her entire world was the tower and him, he would help calm her down if she ever got too intensly into her pacing, but he didn't force her to stop. He let hwr think in a way that made sense for her

"Do you hsbe something you'd like to share with the class?" Alice jumped out of her thoughts, confused. "Apparenrly my math lesson is boring to you."  
"Yes very." 

The teacher made yet anothwr face that Alice didn't recgonize. She had nwver seen those before. 

"Hallway." 

"What about it?" Alice reqlly was confused..shr wasn't trying to be difficult. 

"Go into the hallway. I'll comd talk to you in a minute." 

Alice wwnt in thr hallway. "Finally. She'll.listen to me. I don't get it." Alice kept some.of her thoughts silent but most lf them were out loud. 

"You are incredinly disrubptive in class. You don't listen. I dom't know what your last school was like but it's unacceptable. I'll have a talk wih your parents whwnevwr they get here. Im sure theyd be vwry diappointed to jear you cant listen in class."

Alice titlted her head. She was pretty sure papa would sooner answer hwr questions than be uoswt she coulsnt lisren." 

"Papa likes questions." 

"Fine ill talk to your mother." 

"Good luck with that. She's dead to us." The teacher stares at Alice. What was wronf with this kid? Some queationable parenting choices definley sounded like a factor. 

"I dont have the time nor rhe parienxe for this go bsck to your desk. And i beg lf you, just be quiet. And do your work. Not that yiu knlw how since youvw interpupted my kessons every chqnce you've had. And notnwith real questions." 

"I already knlw how to do it." 

"Somehow, i dount that. But i guess you can take the quiz i had scheduked for tommorow anyway." 

The rest of the day went alomg mostly uneventful. Excpet for lunch.  
Alice pulled out her lunchbox and sat dpwn near the bookshelf ready to eat her marmalade sandshich and wnjoy the book while she ate. She did this all the time in the tower. She'd read a book while papa cooked and if ahe hadn't finished it she'd read while she ate. 

"We eat in the cafeteria." The teacher coulen't deal with this all year. But first daysvwere rough on everyone, maybe she'd mellow out within a few days. She was orsting to the gods that be that would be the case..she couldn't handle a whole year of whatever was going on. 

"Ok." Alice got up. "I'll bring you with me." 

"The book has to stay in the room." Alice pit it bwck on the shelf. She knew whqt it felt like to be forced tonstay in one place. "Poor book, sorry you're stuvk here." 

Everyone laughed. She didn't see how that was funny. 

"It's not funny, being trapped isn't fun." 

The teacher was too tired and it was the lunch monitor's problem bow anyway. Alice sat down at a table and tried to find somwthing for her mind to do. She'd been so trapped oshycially for so long that everything that could move around was hyperactive..her thoughts ane imagination were beyond vivid. Her dreams scary at times. 

"You're really weird." Alice didnt hear the comment from one of her classmates, diatracted by how many doors and windows there were in this one room ina giant building. It was so different from her one window. 

"There's five windows and 4 doors in this room alone..isnt that exciting? So mant wqya in and out. Out especially."

Someone waved a hand in front of her face. "I'd say ignore them but, you're doing a pretty goos job of that on your own." 

"Ignore what?" Alice hadn't heard anything she shouls ignore. 

"Them calling you weird. You don't seem that weird. You seem fun. And I wish I could piss off ms. Doyle that much. Bold to do it on your first day." 

"Piss off? Not familair with the phrase." 

"Upset. Anger. Whatwver you call it, that was awesome." 

"Wasn't trying to upset her." Now Alice felt bad. She went back to eating, appreciating the company. She'd never sat at a table alone. Of papa wasnt arounf mr. Rabbit and hattsr were nearby. 

They ate their lunch and went bsck to class. And the rest of the day Alice tried to be quiet forost of the lessons but still coulsnt keep entirely still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk who that student is. Im debating id i want to make them robin kr not. Thiughts?
> 
> Alsp the faces would be annpyrd and angry.


	7. Chapter 7

Alice was so tired of sitting at her desk. And everyone else had gotten up. She glanced at the clock and knew papa would be by to pick her up soon but she didn't know how that worked. And everyone was talking and gathering their things. Alice was sure if she wanted to she could join in. But it was so loud. She covered her ears for a moment. It worked a bit. She didn't bother with the booksjelf, nlt thinking she'd have near enough time to enjoy it. 

She went up to the teacher and pulled herself up onto the counter like thing in the front of the room. Further away from the ckass made it a bit quieter. The teacher had been behind it at times. And it was plenty sturdy.   
She sat on the coubter or tables in the tower all the time. She'd sit and read a book or tell papa about something fascinating she'd learned. She'd tell him about her and hee toys adventures that he had missed even a second of whilst dling things he had to do. He always dropped evwrything for her, she wasn't used to anything else. 

"Get off rhe podium," Alice looked confused. What was a podium? Who was the teacher talking to? It was weird not knowing who soneone was talking to. There had always been only one person papa could be talking to. 

"Alice, get down." Oh. Her. Ok. She didn't get why but moved any way. 

"Why?" 

"You can't sit on tables." 

"I do it all the time." 

That didn't even slightly suprise the teacher. Alice was a handful. And didn't behave. It was defintley a conversation whenever a parent showed up to get her. Whether that would happen on time remained to be seen. She highly doubted the kind of parents that allowed their ten year old to act like this were attentive ones. 

The teacher didn't want to keep Alice for an extra second but jeeded to talk to her parents. 

Killian got to the school and greeted the principal, whonakready dindt like him. And told him to go to Alice's classroom. 

Was she hurt? Had something happened? Maybe je should have just stayed. Just for her first day! He got to the room as fast as he could. 

"Is something wrong? Are you hurt?" 

Alice shook her head. "I'm fine papa." 

"Ok, i made brownies. Brought you one. Bdcause you were so brave first day of school. Great job, starfish." 

Ok now that wasn't the action of a neggligent parent. But it could all be an act. The tescher didn't trust him. Alice clearly had something going on in her life that was causing her to act out in school to that extent. 

"Mr. Jones, i need tontslk to you about her first day. Can we step into the hall for a moment?" 

"Aye, be right back." Killian didn't want to leave Alice alone for too long. It always made him nervous. He shifted his eyes back her direction as they steped into thehall. 

"Alice does not know how to behave in class. She is loud and disruptive and will not stay still." 

Killian paused. Alice's life had been difficult enough already. He didn't want to make it harder for her. Telling her teacher the nogjtmare that was hoe Alice had been conceived and the cinsecutive decade could very well put her in harms ways. He didn't know this woman. He was barely confortsble putting her in a public school. But Alice needed to be around other people. If she wasn't than all the problems that came with the tiwer would just be transferred into a different kind of prison. Alice was already going to have a hard time making friends. And if she wanted to tell people in her own time and on her own terms, that was fine. But he wasn't going to be the one to give out the informstion. But he had to have some kind lf justification. Alice wasn't a bad kid. Hell, she was probably a lot easier than a lot lf kids to handle. He had to givr the teacher a reason that Alice acted the way she did. 

"I homeschooled her fkr the kast five years. Im sjre its a huge adjustment. I'll talk to her." 

"Why'd you decide to stop?" 

Bloody hell. He hadn't exoected a follow up. He hesitated, maybe a bit too long. And came up with sonething abkut it being time for a change. The tescher dismissed him and he retrieved Alice. Who was clesrly ready to tell him all about her day. She did that all the time. He was nearly always there but it helped combat the cabin fever she was cinstantly close to. 

Mr. Jones clearly hesitiated. There was something he wasn't telling her or the school. It was suspicious but she couldn't do anything about it. 

Alice said bye and went talked to killian the entire way. 

"And we did math but it was so easy. But i couldn't read during it for some reason. We did a bunvh of problems!"

It wasn't really a complaint. Alice was excited about school. Kind of. But it was different and she was trying to make sense lf different. 

"Aye, that's amazing. I'm sire you'llnget to read at some point. And maybe the other kids didnt know how to do it yet? I had to practice so i could teach you. Maybe you can help the other kids if they beed it?" It was a good suggestion. It helped explain to Alice that not everyone knew the same things she did. Which to her was foreign. She knew most people knew more about the world than her. But everything shr'd lesrned she'd lesdned from papa. 

"Aye! Do you think the tescher will play cuess with me tokmorow? Inasked her to plsy with me and she wouldn't." 

"I'm not sure, maybe. But if not you can try to play eith other kids?" 

Alice shook her head. 

"They're loud." 

He didn't have a solution for that one. 

"Oh and i have to sit in a desk. Or on a chaid behind a desk. Weord way to say it. On a chair. And we go to a different room to eat. And we got to play outisde!" 

"That's awesome! Did you have fun?" 

"I just walked. A lot of spacr to explore. Don't likd the fence, thiugh." 

"The fence isnt enchanted. I promise." 

Alice nodded. "It still bkthers me." 

"I know, hey do you want another brownie? It sounds like you've had quitr the day. And then i'll play a round lf cjess with you. Sound good?" 

"Aye!" He defintley let her have sweets moe often than maybe he should have but it was just so hard not tongive her evwrything and more when her entire world had been a single room with no exit and a barrier that never let her forget that she was trapped. And he cpuldn't just change the rules he'd set for her with thst in mind just becauase she had some semblance of freedom. 

Thry btoh got a brownke and sat down to play a game. Chess was Alice's favorite. 

Thry played for a while and Aloce helped Killian vook and told him more about the day. She mentiojed the girl that had sat with her at lunch and didn't have any idea what her name was. 

"I didn't ask." 

"That's alright." They ate their dinner and Killian stayrd uo a little later than alice, making sure she had a lunch for the next day and trying to decide what he planned to fill his days with while she went to school..


	8. Chapter 8

Killian had promised he'd talk to Alice. But he didn't really know what to tell her. He understood why she was restless. Telling her not to move wouldn't accomplish anything. He told her to maybe just wait for the teacher to ask for questions, or write them down. He hated that. But it was the best he could do. She asked him to explain why, and told him that whenever she asked the teacher why she didn't get a bloody answer. Her curiosity had been completly fine in the tower but it moght get her into sone trouble in the world. But he was sure she'd be fine. One day of school not going oerfectly wasn't a massive problem; even if it did leave him with a worrying mind as he walked her to her classroom. 

"Have a good day,." Alice hesitated at the door, something Killian had quickly notice she did with every door in their new home. She was unsure she'd be able to get out. Unsure thwt there wasn't an invisible row of bars that would soon return to keeping her locked away. She also didn't love being away from him. It was so different. 

Shw hugged him and took a little longer than most kids did to go sit down. She wasn't quite used to being seorated from papa. 

The teacher noticed that Alice was even less ready to leave her father's side then she had been on the first day. It was weird. And it was unusual fornparents tonwqlk their kids to thr classroom daily. 

"Mr. Jones, can we talk?" They stepped out into the hallway. Killian was certain this would be a regular occurance. From no fsukt of his daughter's. 

"Aye, i talked to her. She should be fine. I tokd her to maaybe try to save her questions fir when you ask for questions." Maybe? Try? This man didn't even bother to make rules sound enforceable. 

"It's not really normal for parents to walk their kids to class every day. The kids jsually get dropped off out front and make their way to class on their own." 

Killian blinked. He wasn't comfortsble letting Alice out of his sight that long. He was sure she'd get lost in the big building or that her very much estranged mother would be able to convince the school she had some kijd of right to take her home with her. It was better if he walkedher to class. He'd stop if it made Alice uncomfortable but aside from that, he wouldn't..

"I'm going to walk my dsjghter to the door of thr classroom as long as she wants me to." 

"Fine. Have a nkxe day. See you at pick up." 

The teacher went in. Alicebrralized she hadn't said i love you and git up and ran out thrkugh the door with some hestitstion. 

"Papa!" 

She was a bit loud but it wasn't a scream of distress or anything. He turned around. She ran uo and hugged him. "I forgot to say i love you." 

"I love you too, starfish. I'll see yiu after scjool, alright?" 

Alice nodded and went bsck to class. 

The tezcher half glared at her and then started on abojt the fsct they had a quiz. And how mant quesrions it'd have. And sonething about no cheating. Whatever thqt meant. She really wanted to ask. But she was waiting for there to be some opening for her to do so that never came. The teacher didn't wnat queations at the moment. She was going to bloody explode trying to be quiet. She had to know. She'd remeber to ask about it after the quiz. Surely. 

The mth was fairly easy. For her. Papa had said that not everyone knew how to do it yet. And some of the other kids looked like they didn't know. She could help. If they needed help. Right? How did she know if they did? The girl next to her was staring at her paper and had only answered a few of the questions. She'd gotten one of them wrong. The third one. 

"The third ones wrong." It wasn't even a whisper. She had no shame. 

The teacher didn't hear her, and the student next to her assumed she was talking to herslef , thinking. Which she ckesrly had a habit of. 

Alice was trting to help. She got her attention by waving her hand in her face. So she tried the same. 

The girl whose name she hadn't caught glanced up briefly. 

"Youngot ghree wrong, you have to divide everything on that side of the equal sign. Not just x." 

"Are yiu serious?" Thr teacher looked uo from her desk. 

"I think so, maybe not with every problem?" 

"Not about hoe to do algebra!" 

Alice really didn't know what she'd done wrong. 

"Finish taking your quiz. I'llmdeal with this later." 

Alice continued. She got stumped on the last question. She didn't understand what some of the things in the word problem were. 

She raised her hand. She had a question. 

"Figure it out." 

Ahe kept her hand up. Papa would ajswer her wuesrion. She didn't know why the teacher was botjered by her.   
The teachdr csme over and gruffly asked what she needed. Alicr asked what the things in the word problem thst cinfused herbwere and the teacher looked irritsted. "It doesnt matter..just do the math part." 

Ok. Fine. Still weird. She finished the quiz well before everyone else and sat with it. 

She noticed a lot of her classmates struggling. Papa always got up from his work to help her with her schooleork. She gor up ajd set her psper on the teafhers desk. She normwlly gsve her work to papa. It made sense. 

She walked around to one of the studdbts she saw struggling who said thry didnt want her help. She didnt let it sway her and went around the room flsncing at evsryones papwrs ronsee where thry had struggled. Almost evryone had had a hard time with the same question. Papa would write things to show her. And she'd seen the tescher writing on the big board innthe front of the room..she went uo ajd write down the problem and worked through it, talking out loud the entire time. 

Mrs. Doyle was exhausted. Alice jad been at scjool for maybe an hour and she was exhausted. Could this ne someone else's problem? 

"Alice, go sit in thr hallway. Yiu're in so much trouble." 

"For what?" 

"You know why. Go." 

Alice shrugfed and went into the hallway. Naturwlly hestitating at the door. 

She hadn't done anything wrong. The teacher just bloody well hated her. For some reason. 

The teacher said the quiz wouldnt bw for a grade since everyone had been forced into cheating by Alice's weird decision to show everyone how to do a problem in the middle of the quiz and thanked everyone for trying bot to cheat. 

Omce the teacher was out of the room Robin tolled her eyes. "I think sje was just trying to be nice." She'd yrll at the teaxher to when she had a chance. Disrepseictng authority was kind of in her blood. 

"I ssid no cheating, hoe hard is thqt to understsnd?" 

"Very. I don't know what thwt word means." 

She pincjed the bridge of her nose, it'd nkt even been teo days and this child was going to be the desth of her. 

"You can't ask questionsnduring a quiz and you cannot show wveyone how to dona quesrion on it during the quiz." 

"Why not?" 

"Whatever. Ask your fsther. We'll.talk.to him again when he gets here..or is your mother picking you uo?" 

"Just me and papa." 

That explained so much. This child didn't have a healthy home life in at least one way she could prove. "That explains a lot, honestly. Whatever go back to class. We'll tske another wuiz a different day." 

They git through thr day, nearlyeveryone krritated with Alice because they had tontwke another quiz the next day. 

They did lessons and went to recess. Alkce played by herself. The teacher had made it oretty ckear she didnt want to be around her. She was frustrated and thr fence was making her feel the way the barruer always made her feel. But she could ses the fence. It could mock her when she wasnt even thinking about it. She saw something that looked sturdy enough to climb on. She used it and got on top of it. Thrn flung hersf upside dosn. She fid this in thr tower all the time. She orsxfically climbed the walls trying to find sokething, anything to do. 

"Alice! Get down." Akright alice flioed off the money bars and landed on her feet. 

"Ok that was cool," the girl from the cafeteria. 

"I'm robin." 

"Alice, whats cool mean?" 

"Interesting. Awesome. It's a thing where im from." 

"Thanks." 

"Also, ignore everyone. You seem nice." 

Alice laughed. "I've been here twondays and i akready think the teacher hates me." 

"Maybe. But whoncares what she thinks?" 

Alice agreed with robin. They hung out a bit and talked. Mostly about whatbthey lijed to do. 

They hung iut at lunch to and the day went by a bit better when Alice didn't feel so alone. 

Killian camw to pick alice uo from school and was met with the immeidate demands of the teachwr needing to tqlk to him. He really didn't think aloce was possibley vausing this amount of trouble. But he realized that Alice likely was doing thing she didn't know were dome a lottle differently in this school than in the tower.   
He braced himself for thr cknversation that would lesve him scrambling to find a lie close enough to thr truth and told alice to wait for just a minute when he gave her something he baked while she was at scjool


	9. Chapter 9

"Mr. Jones, it's been two days and Alice has already caused mlre trouble than any other student this year." 

Killian really doubted Alice had done anything too horrific. She was kind to any animal that manafed to visit the tower, and has always been nice to him. Aside from scaring him hakf to death with her more dangerous antics. But she was bored, and she was lonely he didn't blame her climbing on furniture. 

But he could be polite to the person he left his chikd with for a portion of the day and hear her out. 

"What's happened now?" 

"We took a quiz today__" Killian waited for a moment and when the teacher got nowhere with her swntenxe interjected.

"You graded them that quickly?" 

"No. I didn't grade them at all. Alice got up and started tellkng everyone the answers!" 

Killian didn't think Alice would do that. He'd ask her. 

"That doesn't sound like her." 

"I assure you, she did exactly that." 

"Let me ask her." 

The teacher went and told Alice to come outside. 

"Hi, papa."  
"Starfish, did you tell evsryone the answers to the quiz?" 

"No. I showed them how to do the prpblem no one was getting right. You said not everyone understood it and helpings good, right?" 

She had a point. 

"Do you swe my problem, mr. Jones?" 

"Ok, aye. It won't happen again. Sorry for the misubderstanding. We'll see you tommorow. Have a nice day." 

They left and Killian had to explain that he hadn't quite been clear in what he'd said. 

"So we did a bunch of math problems and the tescher made me leave for some reaaon." 

It wasn't her fault. Killian had to qucikly remimd himself that Alice was operating on a limited lifr experience. Ome that he had sworn to fix a long time ago and had failed at for a decade. She couldn't be faulted for not knowing better. Her only classmates had been toys that she talked to to ward off the dqngerous effects of the fact she hadn't been able to leave a rather small space for her entire life. 

"Alright, you didn't know any better. That's on me. But aye, during aquiz you can't cheat." 

"What's that mean?"

"You csn't help if its a quiz or a test, alright?" 

"Ok." Thankfully it wasn't a huge issue. But Killian did have a prpblem with the teacher all but calling Alice a menace. She wasn't a bad kid, she was just new to interacting with anyone outside of him and the iccasiaonal wild animal. But surely it'd grt better pnce she'd adjusted, but he had no idea how long thst moght take. 

They finished up their conversation and then made dinner while Alice told him about her day.


End file.
